[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 148 (Thursday, August 3, 2023)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 51354-51355]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 2023-16565]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
    
    Occupational Safety and Health Administration
    
    [Docket No. OSHA-2009-0035]
    
    
    Ethylene Oxide (EtO) Standard Extension of the Office of 
    Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection 
    (Paperwork) Requirements
    
    AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
    
    ACTION: Request for public comments.
    
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    SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to 
    extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the 
    information collection requirements specified in the Ethylene Oxide 
    (EtO) Standard.
    
    DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
    October 2, 2023.
    
    ADDRESSES: 
        Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments 
    electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal 
    eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting 
    comments.
        Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
    docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov. Documents in the docket are 
    listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index; however, some 
    information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available to 
    read or download through the website. All submissions, including 
    copyrighted material, are available for inspection through the OSHA 
    Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY 
    (877) 889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.
        Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and OSHA 
    docket number (OSHA-2009-0035) for the Information Collection Request 
    (ICR). OSHA will place all comments, including any personal 
    information, in the public docket, which may be made available online. 
    Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal 
    information such as social security numbers and birthdates.
        For further information on submitting comments, see the ``Public 
    Participation'' heading in the section of this notice titled 
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Seleda Perryman or Theda Kenney, 
    Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor; 
    telephone (202) 693-2222.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    
    I. Background
    
        The Department of Labor, as part of the continuing effort to reduce 
    paperwork and respondent (i.e., employer) burden, conducts a 
    preclearance consultation program to provide the public with an 
    opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing information 
    collection requirements in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act 
    of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program ensures that 
    information is in the desired format, reporting burden (time and costs) 
    is minimal, the collection instruments are clearly understood, and 
    OSHA's estimate of the information collection burden is accurate. The 
    Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) (29 U.S.C. 651 et 
    seq.) authorizes information collection by employers as necessary or 
    appropriate for enforcement of the OSH Act or for developing 
    information regarding the
    
    
    causes and prevention of occupational injuries, illnesses, and 
    accidents (29 U.S.C. 657). The OSH Act also requires that OSHA obtain 
    such information with minimum burden upon employers, especially those 
    operating small businesses, and to reduce to the maximum extent 
    feasible unnecessary duplication of effort in obtaining information (29 
    U.S.C. 657).
        The following sections describe who uses the information collected 
    under each requirement, as well as how they use it.
        The EtO Standard (29 CFR 1910.1047) specifies a number of paperwork 
    requirements. The following is a brief description of the collection of 
    information requirements contained in the standard.
        The information collection requirements specified in the EtO 
    Standard protect workers from the adverse health effects that may 
    result from occupational exposure to ethylene oxide. The principal 
    information collection requirements in the EtO Standard include 
    conducting worker exposure monitoring, notifying workers of the 
    exposure, implementing a written compliance program, and implementing 
    medical surveillance of workers. Also, the examining physician must 
    provide specific information to ensure that workers receive a copy of 
    their medical examination results. The employer must maintain exposure-
    monitoring and medical records for specific periods, and provide access 
    to these records by OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational 
    Safety and Health (NIOSH), the affected workers, and their authorized 
    representatives and other designated parties.
    
    II. Special Issues for Comment
    
        OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
         Whether the proposed information collection requirements 
    are necessary for the proper performance of the agency's functions to 
    protect workers, including whether the information is useful;
         The accuracy of OSHA's estimate of the burden (time and 
    costs) of the information collection requirements, including the 
    validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
         The quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
    collected; and
         Ways to minimize the burden on employers who must comply; 
    for example, by using automated or other technological information 
    collection, and transmission techniques.
    
    III. Proposed Actions
    
        There is an overall adjustment decrease in burden hours for this 
    ICR. The burden hours have decreased a total of 1,005 hours (from 
    31,257 hours to 30,252 hours). The adjusted decrease is primarily due 
    to the estimated number of establishments covered by the standard.
        OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in response to this 
    notice and will include this summary in the request to OMB to extend 
    the approval of the information collection requirements.
        Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
        Title: Ethylene Oxide Standard.
        OMB Control Number: 1218-0108.
        Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
        Number of Respondents: 2,026.
        Number of Responses: 109,708.
        Frequency of Responses: Initially, annually, on occasion.
        Average Time per Response: Various.
        Estimated Total Burden Hours: 30,252.
        Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $5,129,858.
    
    IV. Public Participation--Submission of Comments on This Notice and 
    Internet Access to Comments and Submissions
    
        You may submit comments in response to this document as follows: 
    (1) electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal 
    eRulemaking Portal; (2) by facsimile (fax), if your comments, including 
    attachments, are not longer than 10 pages you may fax them to the OSHA 
    Docket Office at 202-693-1648; or (3) by hard copy. All comments, 
    attachments, and other material must identify the agency name and the 
    OSHA docket number for the ICR Docket No. OSHA-2009-0035. You may 
    supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files 
    electronically.
        Comments and submissions are posted without change at http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about 
    submitting personal information such as Social Security Numbers and 
    dates of birth. Although all submissions are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index, some information (e.g., copyrighted 
    material) is not publicly available to read or download from this 
    website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available 
    for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Information on 
    using the http://www.regulations.gov website to submit comments and 
    access the docket is available at the website's ``User Tips'' link. 
    Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350, (TTY (877) 889-5627) 
    for information about materials not available from the website, and for 
    assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.
    
    Authority and Signature
    
        James S. Frederick, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
    Occupational Safety and Health, directed the preparation of this 
    notice. The authority for this notice is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
    1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506 et seq.) and Secretary of Labor's Order No. 8-2020 
    (85 FR 58393).
    
        Signed at Washington, DC.
    James S. Frederick,
    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
    [FR Doc. 2023-16565 Filed 8-2-23; 8:45 am]
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